Dr Thomas Gift
Dr Thomas Gift Looking ahead to the 2024 US presidential election, Dr Thomas Gift (UCL Political Science) compares in The Conversation the policies and styles of former president Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, weighing their likelihood of securing the Republican nomination. In an episode of HBO's Real Time in March 2023, comedian Bill Maher hit the nail on the head when describing the current debate over Donald Trump v Ron DeSantis for the Republican presidential nomination. Conventional wisdom is that lots of voters want Trump's policies without Trump - so Florida governor DeSantis, wrapped up in "more electable" packaging, might appeal to the Republican base. However, Maher asked: "Why would [Republicans] want a tribute band when the actual band is still playing?" It's a valid question - and one that deserves an answer. Policy-wise, there's not much separating Trump and DeSantis. Domestically, both embrace tax cuts, conservative judges, and hardline immigration stances. On foreign policy, both are sceptical of US aid to Ukraine and want to give China a punch in the gut.
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